A Culture of Discipleship – Evangelism, Discipleship & Miracles in 2019

2018

This has been an amazing year of acceleration in the presence of God. He has asked us to step into His presence and step out in His power and we have seen how God has promoted people and shifted people into positions and places where he wanted them to be. This has not been without disturbance and we have had to align ourselves spiritually and grow in character to handle the movement of God in our lives. A parallel has been the political movement in the nation with Brexit. But our trust is that God is shifting things for his glory in our lives, the church and the nation. We have emphasised stepping into the presence of God and stepping out in his power as presence-based ambassadors. I think the main thing we have learned is that we have to rest in the presence of God and have our minds set on the Spirit to be full of life and peace and to accelerate (Romans 8: 6). The alternative is to do things with a mind set on the flesh, (that is in our own strength and initiative devoid of reliance on God’s Spirit), but the results are death; that sense of being spiritually cut off and dry leading to being over stressed, depressed and burnt out.

2019

As we come to 2019 we have heard God speaking to us as core leaders in LNC about Evangelism, Discipleship and Miracles. We truly believe that it is time for the harvest (the evidence suggests people are spiritually hungry and are responding to God in the UK). So far over 13,000 people have responded to the gospel on the

streets of the UK and parts of Europe through the Turning since May 2016. The launch of the Turning will be significant for London and LNC as we reap on the streets in September.

GET READY, GET READY, GET READY

It's time to expand our hearts (2 Cor 6: 13), prepare our life groups (Acts 2: 42-47), and adjust our timetables to be able to disciple those who will come in. We want to develop a discipleship culture. In the midst of this we believe miracles will become common place, God breaking into the natural and taking us into deeper dimensions of His Spirit. As we saw in 2018, we believe we will

continue to see miracles of healing, financial provision and breakthrough in places of influence. Christians are now being moved into places of influence to advance the Kingdom in every mountain & sphere of society. We trust that through the turmoil of the Brexit process God will position the nation for blessing as people choose to look to Him as their ultimate government.

Scriptures to Meditate on:

John 4: 35 - Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

Matthew 9: 36 - 38 - 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Matthew 28: 18 - 20 - 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Timothy 2: 2 - 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Mark 16: 20 - Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Alex Afriyie

Step-In Step-Out in 2018

As we have sought the Lord for 2018 as a core leadership team at LNC, we have felt God speaking to us about His presence. We are to ‘step in’ to His presence and then from being empowered and built up in His presence we are to ‘step out’ as His ambassadors to touch lives around us. As we experience Jesus in His power and presence we have the scent of Him on us and His presence changes everyone it meets.

How do we step into the presence of God and step out empowered? 
As a young man I prayed without power. Then one day someone showed me how to give my life to the Lord. Although I knew I was forgiven I didn’t know Jesus power to overcome sin. Then I learnt about the Holy Spirit:

Acts 1: 8 – ‘You Shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses…’ This totally transformed my life:

• I couldn’t help but live for Jesus – I loved his presence and would spend hours with Jesus in prayer, praise, thanks, intercession, tears and laughter,
• I couldn’t help but obey his Word to me. Everything He said seemed so clear and powerful and I didn’t want to let Him down.
• I found him releasing me from impurities as a teenager and literally felt unclean things leaving me.
• I found a new boldness to share the gospel and saw my brothers, sister, mum, gangs at school and teenage girls and boys as well as the dying come to know the Lord.
• Again, myself along with others saw the sick healed.

So how can we step into the presence of God and stay there each day in 2018?

1) By Faith – 2 Corinthians 5: 7 – ‘For we walk by faith not by sight’. How does faith come? By hearing God’s word. Hearing God’s rhema (creative word). Spend time this year based in Scripture. Listen to God every day. Meditate on His Word every day. Sometimes it will seem dry, but it is food to your inner most parts. Ps. 119: 11 says ‘Thy word have I hidden in my

heart that I may not sin against you’. Ps. 119: 130 ‘The entrance of your word gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.’ When you meditate on the Word even for 10 minutes a day you will find that it will empower you from the inside out and clear your mind and transform your thinking. You will make decisions bathed in God’s presence and will.

2) Make it your ambition to please the Lord – 2 Corinthians 5: 9 – 10 – Realise you have a purpose on the earth and a destiny to fulfil. Every day have the attitude that you are going to find out and fulfil a little bit more of that purpose that God has for you today. Consider that we must all appear before Christ and give an account. Although, we know we are saved by grace (thank God), but it will be great to stand before Jesus having fulfilled our purpose on the earth. Don’t let any fear of other’s opinions stop you fulfilling your destiny. It is Christ you will ultimately account to.

3) Let the Love of Christ control you – 2 Corinthians 5: 14 – You see God is love and he has demonstrated unconditional love ultimately in Christ dying in our place. We love because God first loved us (1 John 4: 19). In my life I have found myself empowered to love others because I know how much I am loved by the Father. It has helped me to love guys on the streets that no one else cared for and weep for them and see them come to know Jesus. Always remember to love and forgiven others – whether family or enemies. Step out as an ambassador of God’s powerful love.

4) See things from God’s perspective in the spirit – 2 Cor 5: 15 – 17 – People are either in Christ or not. He died for them all. We should now recognise people the way Christ recognises them. That includes ourselves as new creations, our brothers and sisters as new

creations. And the ultimate need of someone who doesn’t yet know Christ as the need to be a new creation. We can help improve someone’s habits, education or wealth but ultimately, they need Christ’s life-giving presence inside them to really live life to the full.

5) See yourself as an ambassador of Christ with a message – 2 Cor 5: 18 – 21 – You have had the word of reconciliation placed in you. The New Age Movement and people in general are trying to bring the message of hope and positivity without Christ. But it only makes sense in Christ. He loves you. ‘He became sin ….so that you might be made the righteousness of God in Christ’. We are carriers of His presence and ambassadors of that Good News. ‘God is not holding your wrongs against you’. 

It’s time to be presence-based ambassadors this year! ‘Step-in’ to His presence! ‘Step-out’ empowered to touch lives and see them transformed!